“In light of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement of the banning of all military-style semi-automatic firearms and assault rifles, Mr Bush said there would be a grace period for those in possession of these.

“We’ll be working with everyone to take those firearms off them and into a place of safekeeping,” he told media this afternoon.

“The first step is to do it voluntarily, we’ll then be working to ascertain if they haven’t complied and those people will be in all likelihood prosecuted,” Mr Bush said.

There were about 250,000 firearm holders in New Zealand, he said. People wishing to surrender their firearms must first contact police – either online or by phoning at 0800 311 311.”